1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to network cabling systems and methods and, more particularly, to a system and method for using a physical layer device (PHY) to locate a thermal signature in a cable plant for diagnostic and higher power applications.
2. Introduction
Heat can have a significant impact on the performance of a network cable. One problem that heat presents is the reduced cable operational parametrics for data transmission. In one example, heat can affect the insertion loss of the cable, thereby impacting data transmission on the cable. More generally, heat can affect the lifetime of the cable and its constituent materials and components.
While the general temperature of the entire cable can present an issue, the creation of a hot spot on a cable can also present significant issues. Hot spots on the cable can occur at localized points due to the constricted dissipation of heat caused by physical constraints such as conduits, poor air circulation, etc. Hot spots can be of concern because of the creation of dangerous heat conditions near other active equipment. Additionally, these hot spots can affect the data integrity in neighboring cables. As these examples illustrate, identifying the existence of hot spots in the network infrastructure can be of significant interest to IT personnel that are tasked with managing a data network infrastructure.
Additionally, hot spots are of significant interest to power over Ethernet (PoE) networks, which provide power to remote devices over network cables. The IEEE 802.3af and 802.3at PoE specifications provide a framework for delivery of power from power sourcing equipment (PSE) to a powered device (PD) over Ethernet cabling. In these applications, hot spots can produce reduced cable operational parametrics for power transmission. For example, heat will affect the resistance of the cable, which in turn will have an impact on the power transmission.
Locating hot spots in a network infrastructure is important for data and power transmission network operations. Conventional diagnostic techniques are typically focused on measuring the overall thermal condition of the entire length of cable. What is needed therefore is a mechanism that enables a diagnosis of the cabling infrastructure to identify the existence and location of hot spots in the network cables.